Monday, October 12, 2009

Private to manage Bluebird's content distribution in all media channels

Private Media Group, Inc. announced today that it would begin the exclusive management of Bluebird Films' content distribution worldwide, via all media channels.

Following Private’s announcement that it would open its distribution network to a select group of American and European high quality studios, this partnership is to date the most substantial in a series of deals to manage other studios' content.

Under the terms of a five-year agreement, Private is in charge of bringing Bluebird's content to market across its distribution network, a set of leading platform operators which has invited the company to fill additional shelf space in its new role as an aggregator. The current distribution network includes broadcasting (satellite TV, cable, IPTV, DTT), mobile, Internet e-commerce, DVD and Blu-ray platforms. With respect to IPTV and mobile distribution, the network represents 38 platforms in 24 countries and 1.2 billion mobile phone users via 104 mobile operators in 45 countries.

“Bluebird has the catalog we have been seeking, yet the studio has not gained the traction it deserves,” noted Private CEO Ilan Bunimovitz. “With our access to global markets, we can rapidly catapult Bluebird to international success. They have the content and we have the market reach, and the ability to manage it across multiple channels globally. It is an elegant match where Private satisfies increased demand on all platforms while Bluebird gains unparalleled global distribution. Going forward, we expect this arrangement to have a significant impact on our bottom line.”

With a newly produced catalog of unreleased movies in excess of 175 titles, a production schedule of 10 movies per month and an extensive library of HD content, Bluebird Films was highly sought-after by major distributors.

“When you’ve invested over $14M to develop your catalog, you take a good hard look before you partner with anyone to distribute it,” said Bluebird Films CEO Nicholas Steele. “There was simply no one with the combination of services Private offers: they have a proven track record on brand management, they understand the emerging channels across the world, they fathom the particularities of producing content for a global audience, and, with Gamelink, they are leaders in online distribution.

"Initially, our intention was to carry out the distribution on our own, but when we saw that Private has a suite of top-notch services and its global distribution network ready to go, time to market, quality and reach were the deciding factors for us.”